A study in the Archives of General Psychiatry (September 2006) revealed that babies born to men between the ages of 40 and 49 are nearly six times more likely to develop autism than children born to men under 30, regardless of the mother’s age.
What??????
Children with autism have a concrete way of thinking. Most adults use idioms in their speech. An idiom is a phrase made up of words that are not used in their literal sense. For example saying “That’s the way the cookie crumbles” means “that’s the way it happens”. This can create confusion for a child. It’s best to convey your message in plain, simple language.
When we got the call that our nieces and nephew needed a home, we wanted to help them. We knew it was going to be a hard transition for Anthony. For 9 years, he was an only child and now he will have 3 siblings that also need our love and attention. He was very resistant to the idea in the beginning. But we did the best we could explaining it to him. It was important to give Anthony extra TLC and attention during this adjustment period.
As an OT, we are constantly asked for suggesting on how to help the child who can’t sit still and attend during class. One suggestion is keeping their hands busy with fidget objects. Many adults twirl their hair or tap their pens to help maintain their attention as well. Some fidgets that can be used discreetly during class could be mini koosh balls, squishy balls, smooth rocks, stretchy animals, stretchy coil key chains, etc. These items can be easily held under the desk and not become a distraction.
No matter how carefully you manage your child’s daily routine and activities; there will come that moment when he melts down in front of staring eyes in public. And there will not be a rock around that you can crawl under. One of Anthony’s most memorable moments was when he was 4 years old. We were waiting in line at the checkouts in Walmart. The customer in front of me was arguing with the cashier over the price of tuna fish. As the cashier walked away to check the price, Anthony started crying and reaching for some candy. His cries turned into screams. I did everything I could to control the situation besides giving him the candy. The thrifty customer grabbed a piece of candy and said to me, “Just give him the candy”: I politely said, “Thank you for your concern but he is learning that just because you scream, you don’t get what you want”. Just then, the cashier came back and said that the tuna fish price was correct in the computer, but they will give it to her for the lower price anyway. She then turned to me and smiled.
One of the most challenging parts of working with children with autism understands their behavior. A lot of children engage in what is known as self-stimulatory behaviors (self stim). Self stim could be hand flapping, flicking their fingers, vocalizations, spinning, obsessions, etc. Self- stim is most difficult because it provides internal satisfaction. Anthony becomes fixated on TV episodes. He will think about it obsessively and talk about it non stop. It’s like his favorite episode plays over and over in his head. Anthony is sometimes able to recognize that it’s inappropriate and stop but other times, he can’t.
Anthony has always been a picky eater. If it wasn’t breaded or fried, he didn’t eat it. He would only eat 3 or 4 different foods. I can remember going to a Mexican restaurant, and trying to order chicken nuggets or a grilled cheese sandwich. I think he ate plain nachos chips for dinner that night. Throughout the years, we managed to slightly expand his food selections but it wasn’t easy. But we still can’t eat in any Mexican or Chinese restaurants.
When someone suggested enrolling Anthony in martial arts, I thought, “no way is that going to work”. But I figured it was worth a try. Now being an OT, I can understand the physical and mental benefits that this type of physical activity can provide. But you have to be able to follow directions, which Anthony had difficulties with. The instructors were very patient but also persistent with him. Martial arts helped him become more aware of his body and how it moved in space. Anthony learned how to control his body more. Although, he’s not going to be a stuntman for an action movie one day, it has helped him in so many other ways.
After graduation, I was in a hurry to start my career. I had an interview for a private school that was for children with autism. This was a residential school. As soon as I walked into the school, I felt a special vibe, like a sense of belonging. The school was very open to all of my creative thoughts and ideas even though I was a new grad. I remember my supervisors saying “I teach you everything that you need to know but you got to feel this place in your heart to be really successful.” From then on, my supervisor and I became very close friends and we contributed a lot to the school’s overall success. As any working mother knows, balancing work and home is difficult. Anthony and I have “movie night” every Friday. Movie night is where Anthony and I watch a movie that we are both interested in. (if left up to him, we’d watch Pokemon every time) And we sit on the couch and eat popcorn. He looks forward to this every week. It’s a time for just us to reconnect after a crazy week. We have carried this traditional for years.